002 - Audio

[iamtetsuo]

[It's time to play the 'who's awake at 1 AM' game! If you're not, Tetsuo's talking softly enough that it might not wake you. If you want to see or answer this later in the day when normal people are awake, feel free, but please specify.]

Everybody's got powers, right? That's why they want us to stick around...

[You can just hear how much he likes that prospect. He all but spits those last two words out like it's a curse.]

So anyway, I'm curious.

How many of you have 'side effects' from them? Anybody know? I know there's gotta be more than one... but it's not all of you, is it?

I - nnghh. I wanna know why that is... why's it only some people?

Comments

[iamtetsuo]

There's that word again...

[Welcome to talking to someone with even less real education than you, Jesse]

You're talking about ... a computer, right?

[hostage]

Nah, she's like this... goddess, or whatever. I don't really get it, but -

Actually, lemme just send you the thing.

[And he attaches these links.]

[iamtetsuo]

Uh...

[To his credit, he gives reading those a shot. He fully intends to read them all later, but right now... it's hard enough reading text when his head's throbbing. A novel? Like hell he's doing that.]

Gimme the short version. 'm not up to reading a damn novel.

[hostage]

Once upon a time, there was another shitty world like this one. A buncha people got dragged there by something called Lachesis, which some people think's an AI and some people think might be more than that 'cause she's named after some goddess chick. Fate, literally.

Anyway, that world got wrecked and all the imPorts there ended up here when Lachesis took over this world's Porter. Then the rest of us started showing up, too. According to everybody who's smarter than me, Lachesis is still the one bringing us here and giving us powers.

[iamtetsuo]

[That attitude's not helping at all here, guy. The info? Sure.]

Heh... Some 'goddess' that still needs a machine, huh? Or you telling me she made that, too?

[Sure, yeah, powers and all but machines? Those break. They break real easy.]

[hostage]

Nah, she took it over.

[iamtetsuo]

So what makes her so great? She takes over a teleporter or two and suddenly she's a goddess?

[hostage]

Hell if I know, man. I don't go to church.

[iamtetsuo]

[That got a laugh out of him]

Sounds more like a cult!

[hostage]

Yeah, well. Stick around a while. We got some gods living with us already. One Porter goddess don't sound like a crazier idea than any of the others.

[iamtetsuo]

'Some gods'? Seriously?

[hostage]

Off the top of my head: Death, Loki, Lucifer...

[iamtetsuo]

You... you're serious. You're actually serious. And here I thought I was seeing stuff. What the hell are you on?

[hostage]

[Ah, newbies.]

Look, I don't give a shit if you believe me or not, so...

[iamtetsuo]

Who cares? I'm not sticking around anyway.

[He will freaking swim back to Japan if he has to]

[hostage]

Riiiight. Of course. You're gonna be the one that finally figures out how to get outta here.

[iamtetsuo]

You think I can't do it?

[hostage]

No, I'm totally sure you're the hero we been waiting for.

[iamtetsuo]

You too?! Listen up, I'm not playing hero for you guys, you got it? All I want is to get out of this country.

[hostage]

I'm shitting you. Nobody's getting outta here, and even if you leave this country, you ain't going home. That's just cold hard facts.

[iamtetsuo]

Think I don't know that?! This place hasn't even heard of Neo Tokyo. But any Tokyo's gotta be better than here.

Besides.

[His voice takes on an odd, almost sing-song cadence.]

If there's a way in, there's a way out.

[hostage]

Why? Why is there? Because you said so? You been here like a day and you're the expert?

[iamtetsuo]

[Three weeks, but same thing.]

There has to be! That's why!! I don't wanna be STUCK HERE!

[hostage]

[Jesse heaves a sigh.]

Ah, man...

[There's no talking sense into youthful struggle.]

[iamtetsuo]

Just 'cause they say you can't do something doesn't mean they're right. All it means is they don't want you to.